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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Luck o' the Irish: Reuben Crescent Bake

In a perfect world, I would have posted this recipe sometime before St. Patrick's Day. It's a little bit different take on corned beef and cabbage.

But, at the time, Flat Aggie was visiting, and I needed to keep those adventures coming for the Walden Academy fourth graders. I did make this Reuben Crescent Bake for Randy for St. Patty's Day. It was the third time I used the recipe which I saw on someone's Facebook feed awhile back.

I am not usually a sauerkraut fan, but I make an exception for reuben sandwiches. The same exception applies for this easy casserole. It makes a big recipe, which means leftovers. Thankfully, Randy is willing to eat leftovers, unlike some men I know. But, even if the kids were home, they wouldn't eat a whole lot of this one, I don't think. Sauerkraut is an acquired taste, and neither of them have acquired it.

But, if you like reubens, you'll like this casserole. It's even a recipe that Randy has asked me to repeat. Yep, it's that good. Sorry I missed the corned beef-laden St. Patrick's Day. But the deli case still has plenty of corned beef they'll slice up for you. Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain sauerkraut and rinse well. I used a strainer then used paper towels to press additional moisture out of the sauerkraut. Set aside.

Unroll one tube of crescent dough into one long rectangle. Seal seams and perforations. Press onto the bottom of a greased 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Layer with half the cheese. (The original recipe called for sliced cheese, but I prefer grating a 16-ounce block of cheese in the food processor. Either way is fine.) Layer all the corned beef on top. Combine sauerkraut and salad dressing. Spread over beef. Top with remaining cheese.

Put a piece of waxed paper on the counter. Remove the remaining roll of crescent dough from the tube and put on the waxed paper, forming a rectangle. Place another piece of waxed paper on top. Use a rolling pin to seal the perforations and form it into a 13- by 9-inch rectangle. Take off the top layer of waxed paper, and flip it onto the casserole. Remove the other layer of waxed paper and stretch to fit the casserole dish, sealing any perforations. Brush with egg white. Sprinkle with caraway seeds.

Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until heated through and the crust is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Yield: 8 servings.

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Today, I'm linked to Wichita blogger Ashley's Wake Up Wednesdays. Click on the link for more ideas for your dinner table. I'm also linked to the Country Fair Blog Party via Nicole of Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom.